Gastro?

[PossumGirl]

Has anyone run across some canine gastro bug in their area?

Maggie has a sensitive stomach, so my first thought is always, "What did I feed her that gave her the runs?" In this case, I'm pretty sure that there's nothing in her diet that could have caused this.  She had diarrhea on Thursday, yesterday it was soft but not watery.  However, she woke me up twice during the night to take her out, something she only did when she was really ill after I accidentally gave her something with hidden brewer's yeast.

One of my neighbors said his dog had diarrhea yesterday.  I had some anti-diarrheal tablets that the vet gave me last time, but which I hadn't used because she definitely did not have a bug last time.  I'm fasting her for the day and hoping that in concert with the tablets is going to do the job.

Still, I was wondering if there was something "going around" at the moment.

PG

[Lori]

PG - as you know I don't live in your area and have not heard of anything going around here.  However, can I ask how old is your dog and is she fully and up to date immunized?  The only reason I ask this is that when our collie was young, he came down with a bad gastro and when I took him to the vet as he was clearly not well, it turned out he had PARVO.  And, we had NEVER taken him out of our garden in the 9 months he had lived with us.  He was in the hospital for 3 months and was on the verge of death for quite some time.  It was horrible.  It turned out that his third PARVO booster was given too close to the date of his second PARVO booster, cancelling out the third..  I don't want to alarm you and if your dog has been fully immunized (at the correct intervals), this is obviously NOT the problem.  I just wanted to post it in case there might be a question.  Very quick response was needed in my case. 

I guess I sit on the safer than sorry side and if Maggie is still sick, take her in to the Vet.

You know I send all the best to you and Maggie.

 

L

[PossumGirl]

Thanks, Lori.

It's definitely not Parvo, as Maggie is between 10 & 11 and has all of her vaccinations up-to-date.  I think part of the problem is that before we moved here she was almost never in contact with other dogs and here she is in CONSTANT contact, so she may not be as immune to things as a dog who has always been around others.

She doesn't actually act all that sick and would eat if I would let her.  In her case, appetite is not an indicator of how she feels, as she goes on and off desire for food quite easily, even turning down things like steak if she's not in the mood.  She definitely wanted to eat grass over the last couple of days, which is a sign that she wasn't feeling herself, and there was some serious stomach gurgling going on as well.  She hasn't seemed to have an urge to go out since I gave her those tablets this morning, so I'm hoping they will do the trick.

PG

[Lori]

Oh yes, if she is 10 or 11 years old, it is NOT PARVO.  Thank goodness.

Yes, the grass thing is an indicator.  Sounds like she might have just eaten something dodgy (perhaps in the grass) or yes, come across bacteria from contact with another dog or another dog's presents.  If it is the latter (even the first) I would imagine in 24 hours, she should be feeling a bit better.

Hope so.

 

[Deimos]

Several years ago in the UK my dog got an upset tummy (not normal, nor serious). I did the usual starve for a bit then resume feeding bland food, etc. Seems to work but 4 or 5 days later same happened so we went to the vet. Nothing major, just I did not expect it to come back after he had mostly recovered.

Vet gave me some normal stuff to settle the stomach (cannot remember the name) but also a tube of stuff that helps the stomach bacteria establish their correct balance (don't know what it had in it - maybe the necessary bacteria). It was in a large plastic syringe (though for squeezing not injecting). The stuff was a paste but a bit too soft for a tube. Couple of times a day I had to squeeze a bit onto my finger and get the dog to eat it (which was not too difficult).

Unfortunately I cannot say "worked great" or otherwise. He got better but impossible to know if he would have got better left to his own devices.

I've never seen the stuff in pet shops and the packaging of what I was given was definitely for vet use.

I hope she is getting better.

Ian

[PossumGirl]

Thanks, Ian and Lori.  Well, I just took her out in the pouring rain, something she normally hates, and she had more diarrhea.  What's odd is that she REALLY wants to eat and doesn't understand why she can't.

I just pulled out my Dr. Pitcairn volume of Natural Health for Dogs & Cats and read the section on diarrhea.  I seem to be on the right track with my treatment at any rate.  I just made her up a batch of rice and am letting the rice water cool down.  I will give her that later today and only start her on food gradually tomorrow.  After that, we'll see.  She is due for a worming, although I really doubt it's that, but then, who knows?

I think I'll run over to the pharmacy this afternoon and pick up some charcoal to give her as well.

PG

[Deimos]

There is some other "suspension" stuff you can get as well. My youngster had it when her stomach was upset badly from steroids. Its a white liquid. I think in the UK it was available as a brand "Milk of Magnesia" - for humans. I got the stuff recently from the vet but I'm pretty sure it is commonly available stuff. Lines the stomach wall to protect it. I'm sure others will know what it is called.

Ian

[PossumGirl]

Oh yes. We had that in the States too.  Also, we used to have Pepto Bismal which is for all types of stomach upsets.  I'm waiting for the rain to calm down a bit to go over there...

PG

[Maddie]

Folks, be aware there is more than one strain of parvo.  My friends dog, age 7, fully vaccinated all his life recently contracted it.

[PossumGirl]

Mrs. MDW, I know that there have been several new strains of the evil stuff lately.  I was pretty sure that this wasn't the problem, however, as she really didn't seem ill other than having diarrhea.  Believe me, if I'd thought there was anything serious about it, we'd have been off to the vet like a shot.

The anti-viral tablets that we had on hand from her last bout with allergy caused diarrhea seem to have done the trick this time. She hasn't had any diarrhea, although stools are still soft.  Her appetite is quite good and has been the whole time.  In fact, she was not pleased with her day of fasting, and not too wild about yesterday when she only got rice and a small bit of chicken.  I'm gradually reintroducing regular food, so we'll see how she does on that.

PG

[Maddie]

Glad to hear the Diva is in the mend! [:)]  The first thing I always do when my dogs have "the trots" is starve for 24 hours then feed chicken and rice (that's I because I know they don't have any allergies to worry about).  With an allergy I imagine things are a lot more tricky.

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Mrs MDW"]Glad to hear the Diva is in the mend! [:)]  The first thing I always do when my dogs have "the trots" is starve for 24 hours then feed chicken and rice (that's I because I know they don't have any allergies to worry about).  With an allergy I imagine things are a lot more tricky.[/quote]

Indeed, Nic. My fear is always that she will have developed a new allergy!  There were a couple of things that made me think this was a bug though: one, when it has been allergies, I always saw the irritation coming on in stages, whereas this was something that happened overnight.  Two: with allergies she gets a lot of blood and mucous in her stool, which she didn't have this time.

I really hope she doesn't develop an allergy to chicken or rice!  That would make life so complicated!

PG

[Monika]

[quote user="PossumGirl"]Oh yes. We had that in the States too.  Also, we used to have Pepto Bismal which is for all types of stomach upsets.  I'm waiting for the rain to calm down a bit to go over there...

PG
[/quote]

 

I came across this topic while searching for a remedy for my neighbour's dog. So can you really give Pepto Bismol to dogs? Thanks!

[Nettie]

A natural remmedy which really does seem to help settle stomachs is slippery elm bark powder.  A friend of mine who runs a rescue swears by it,  you sprinkle it on the dog's bland diet, boiled chicken and rice or boiled fish and rice.  Meals should be fed in small portions 6 times a day for a couple of days, then portions should be slowly increased and numbers of meals decreased and back to normal portions and frequency, gradually introduce 'normal' food again.

I don't think I would give dogs human medicines.

[JSA Aude]

I've recently had exactly the same problem with both dogs.  One of 11 yrs and one 4 months - younger one more severely affected, she was given Kaopectate (milky bunging up formula) from the vets but possibly available in the pharmacie - worked for a week and then back to problems again.  She was then prescribed antibiotics which (touch wood!) seem to have done the trick.  The older girl was only affected for a couple of days, I immediately put her on boiled chicken and rice with a some of the Kaopectate added and is now ok.  She being the same, always hungry even with an upset tummy (typical Labrador I suppose!).  Forgot to mention we are not too far afield from Chalabre - possibly some different vine spraying/chemicals being used as we have been here 5 yrs with our older one and never a problem.

 

 

[Monika]

Thank you Lurcherlean for your advice regards Slippery Elm. (I think we will stay away from Pepto Bismol as recommended) but I will tell my neigbour to try Slippery Elm (I even had a packet in my cupboard!)  

I had to smile JSA Aude at your typical Labrador, we had 3 Labradors and they were always hungry!